The work: Mareah Rua, Quantum Shores, 2021. Resin and crystal, 100 x 100cm. Courtesy: the artist.
Describing herself as “artist and alchemist”, Mareah Rua creates talismanic works that act as conduits between art, artist and viewer. “Each art piece is an initiation and deepening into a particular lesson,” she explains, with the inclusion of crystals intended to aid observers in forming a relationship with the work and begin their own metaphysical journeys.
Quantum Shores is composed of resin that moves in waves across the work’s surface, embedded with obsidian, clear quartz, pyrite and agate. Resin effortlessly simulates the interior of a geode, absorbing and reflecting light. “I love that resin has an unpredictability to it – there can be an intention as to how things will be directed, but it has a life of its own.”
Lines chart an organic topography across the surface of the piece, and clusters of shimmering crystals emerge, some leaving eddies in their wake. Obsidian was chosen for its ability to dispel negative energy and promote protection and healing, while clear quartz amplifies intentions and enhances spiritual growth. Pyrite, known for its visual affinity with gold, glistens in the changing light.
Rua’s work acts as a guide, a votive created by the artist using her own spiritual force to heal and reassure.